I couldn't live without... Medicine-On-Time medication cards

The cabinets used to be packed with little pill containers at Shepherds Ministries in Union Grove, WI. The nurses at the community-based residential facility would fill the familiar paper cups with meds for each of the 130 to 150 residents for med passes.

“We did a lot of research when we were looking for something to replace what we were doing,” says Nursing Supervisor Cindy Horn, LPN, noting there's nothing out there quite as simple to use as Medicine-On-Time.

Its participating pharmacists pre-package one month's worth of medication for each resident in a card of bubble packs. Each card and bubble pack is clearly labeled with the resident's name. They also are dated and color-coded.

“I have unlicensed staff that are trained, but they are not nurses,” Horn says. “So I need something that's really basic and really simple that they can learn how to pass meds with easily.”

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Pre-packaged meds

The Medicine-On-Time system allows pharmacists to sort medications into pre-packaged bubble packs, which fit into reusable calendar cards.

Drug substitutions saved the government $13 million last year, but more drug substitutions under Medicare Part B would have saved an additional $6 million, the Office of Inspector General for Health and Human Services concluded in a recent report to Congress.